Adjustable gas-burning pilot for gas burners



June 6, 1950 MUELLER 2,510,752

ADJUSTABLE GAS-BURNING PILOT FOR GAS BURNERS Filed Sept. 8, 1945 lNVENTOR f/"wn l't Mueller ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE GAS-BURNING PILOT FOR ens BURNERS Ervin H. Mueller, Grosse Pointe, Mic Application September 8, 1945, Serial No. 615,211

1 Claim. (Cl. 158-115) employ constantly burning pilot flame, which is used as a source of ignition for one or more gas burners. The invention is directed particularly to what may be termed a pilot flame burner tip.

In order to provide a pilot flame which has the desired combustion and flame size, it is, of course, necessary to provide some sort of controlling element, such as a valve, in the gas supply line for the pilot flame, which is adjustable to vary the amount of gas flowing to the pilot flame. Various types of valves have been employed for this purpose including valves of the plug valve class and of the needle valve class. These valves are relatively expensive; that is to say they are relatively expensive considering the extent of use to which the valve is put and the related mechanism. Once a proper adjustment is attained the valve may not be used or manipulated again for a long period of time, and yet the valve must be well made and carefully held to relatively close tolerances. Also the valves serve to shut off the flow of gas whenever such is necessary or desired.

The present invention aims to provide a simple, low cost construction wherein the adjustment of the flow of gas to the pilot flame is provided at the outlet for the gas Where the flame burns.

Thus, a device constructed in accordance with this invention serves several purposes including that of a burner tip, a shut off valve, and a gas flow control valve. This is accomplished while at the same time avoiding the necessity of a cast or forged valve body together with its interfitting plug or needle. Moreover, the ports or passages in a valve for controlling gas for the pilot flame are necessarily very small, and when such a valve is placed in the gas supply tube, they are liable to become chocked or clogged with solid particles. This is a source of inconvenience. Furthermore, the valves are usually hard to reach for adjustment and service.

With the present invention the controlling parts are immediately at the outlet of the gas supply tube and, therefore, not liable to be chocked or clogged. Any particles which are broken loose in the act of assembling the gas supply tube to the usual manifold or the like, must travel the whole distance of the gas supply tube before reaching the gas outlet, and more than likely such particles will remain or deposit within the gas tube and may never reach the outlet during the life of the lighter. In as much as the 2 construction is at the end of the tube where the pilot flame burns, it is easily accessible for adjustment or cleaning or for closing the supply line.

A structure for carrying out the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings:v

Fig. 1 is a View illustrating a portion of a gas range showing several burners and a lighter therefor.

Fig.2 is an enlarged plan view of the pilot flame house.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on "line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig; 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through the controlling structure.

'with gas from a gas supply pipe or manifold 3 through the means of control valves 4. Ordinarily, and particularly in modern stoves or ranges, the valves and the manifold and the major portion of the burners for that matter, may be completely covered by the surface plate I.

The lighter isof a type generally well known to those versed in the industry and it includes 'a gas supply tube 1 which may be connected to the manifold 3 by suitable plug or fitting 8. In the structure shown, the tube 1 extends to a central portion of the range where its end is'turned upwardly, as shown at"), and the gas flowing through the tubes supports a pilot flame I l. Any suitable structure or supporting flash tubes may be disposed adjacent the pilot flame and as shown herein there is what is commonly termed a house I 2 supported by the tube I!) together with a shield I 3 which surround the flame. The house I! supports a flash tube l5 for each burner and the open end of each flash tube, as shown at I6, is disposed in close proximity to the flame II. The opposite end of each flash tube is arranged to receive gas from a burner so that when gas is supplied to a burner some of it flows through its cooperating flash tube to the pilot flame where it is ignited, resulting in a flash back through the flash tube to ignite the gas issuing from the burner. This action is well known to those versed in the art and as will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, there is a flash tube for each burner.

The tube end structure where the pilot flame burns is illustrated in detail in Fig. 4 where it will be noted that the upper end of the tube is provided with exterior threads 20 where the house structure I2 is fastened to the tube. The interior member has a body portion 21 provided with an axial passage 28 which opens through the upper end as indicated and the member has a valving piece 29- which, as shown in Fig. 4, is of conical or tapered form for cooperation with port 23. With this arrangement there is a chamber 30 provided above the disc 22 and the member 25 is-provided with a port 3| which connects the chamber 30 with the passage 28. The passage 28, in efiect, becomes the outle jet or passage {or the gas; which supports; the

flame, I I; and; the upper end of the member 25 is slotted as at32 so that themembermay be adjusted by a tool such as the usual screw driver.

"As, shown in Fig. 2, there vare two of such slots 32 on diametrically opposite. sides of p0rt2-8,

In use of thedevice the flame ll, burns as shown 'irrEi'g. 3 from the. gas issuing. from passage 28.

The volume of gas for supporting the. flamev is readily adjustable, by turning the member 25 on its screw threads to vary the relative positions of the valve member 29 and port23'. When necessary the gas flow may be entirely stopped, by closing of the. passage;

The meterin passage 23 and, for that matter, port 31 ma .be relatively small andtherefore liable to be checked or plugged byextraneous material; For example, when making the connection at 8 some metal'pieces or other substances or carbon'may be loosened, but these substances I claim:

A tip and control structure for a pilot flame for a gas lighter comprising, a gas conduit comprising a length of tubing having a cylindrical wall and connected at one end to gas supply means, said wall being reduced in thickness at the outlet end of the tube to enlarge the internal diameter of said outlet end and. provide an abutm'ent within the tube spaced a distance from the outlet end of the tube, a separate washer like metering member fitted into the enlarged portion of the tube and seating on the abutment and hav ng a. metering port therein for the flow of gas, said tube having internal threads adjacent its outlet end formed in the reduced portion of said wall, the crest diameter of said threaded portion being greater than the internal diameter of the tube at the unreduced portion thereof a tip member, said tip member having a threaded body portion engaged with the internal threads of the tube, said body portion having an axial passage therein, a relatively ensmalled needle type. valving portion on the tip member for cooperation with; the meterin portto. control the flow of gas and which is adapted to, seat, in said port to close the port to shut ofifthe gas flowrthe tip member having a connecting port, between the passage and av space within the tube, above the metering, member whereby gas iorlsupporting a flame burning at the end. of the, passage. in. the

tip member flows through the meterin portithe connecting port and the passage in the tip member and, aformation on the exposed end of the tip member adapted to be engaged by a tool for the adjustment oi the same on the screw threads. 7

ERVIN H. MUELLER. I

REFERENCES CITED 2 The following referencesare of record .in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSv Number Name I Date 87,922 Franz Mar. L6, 1869 101,079 Aurich Mar. 22', 187 0 747,312 Axtell Dec. 15, 1903 1,004,625 Brooks Oct. 3, 1 911 1,276,893 Fischer Aug. 27, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 342 Italy of 1882 

